Your Carry Gun Doesn't Matter

Seriously, most guns are pretty good these days

I was doing an episode of the Gun Talk Podcast with my friend Ryan Gresham, and near the end I said something along the lines of “I don’t care what you carry, just go get some training with it.” I stand by that statement.

First off, most guns these days are pretty good. If you’ve got $250 bucks and need a gun, go get a Taurus GX2 TORO, because it’s going to work. It’s also pretty nice to shoot for a sub-compact, but that’s not the point.

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Well then, what is the point?

I’m so glad you asked. The point is that since most guns are pretty good, all of the arguing about this gun vs that gun is basically angels dancing on the head of a pin. Unless you’re interested in serious performance shooting, you’re not going to see any measurable skill gains based on whatever platform you choose, with the exception that adding a red dot is like buying skill, so you should do that.

Take me and revolvers for instance. I love revolvers, and more importantly I like shooting them, far more than I like shooting semi-automatic handguns. I can’t remember the last time I shot a polymer-framed striker fired auto and thought “wow this is a super fun experience” because those guns don’t do anything for me. But revolvers? Revolvers do something for me. So do 1911s, but only in 45 ACP, and 2011s don’t interest me at all.

But the point of that is because I like revolvers and enjoy shooting them, I’m far more likely to get out to the range and actually practice with a revolver than I am a “better” carry gun. That is the point. If you like a gun and like shooting it, you’re more likely to train with it, so even if it’s not the “best” carry gun option, maybe use that (or one very similar) as your carry gun, because you’re going to develop a higher level of skill with it than a gun you don’t enjoy shooting.

What does matter?

Briefly, here’s a list of some things that matter more towards your ability to defend yourself than the particular make, model, and caliber of gun you carry:

• Your overall physical fitness

• Your driving skills

• Your verbal judo/managing unknown contacts skills

That’s just three that I could think of off the top of my head. Taking care of your body is part of the whole-person concept of self-defense, right? I’m not just defending my life against potential physical violence, I’m defending it from heart disease and other things. Driving is pretty important too! Think about all the time we spend in cars. I have used the skills I learned in the various driving courses I’ve taken basically every single day, because I drive a car basically every single day. I have not used my carry gun at all since I moved to South Carolina.

The point I’m getting at is don’t get wrapped around the axle of what kind of gun you’re carrying. Just get one you like, that you enjoy shooting, take a class, and train with it. Remember, we’re carrying guns to enhance our lives, not to be a slave to all this gear we’re supposed to carry.